A chance encounter with a Corkman has me fretting about prices. "I'm a great fan of your Saturday column," he said, "but . . ." But what? He winced. "But you've left me behind in the past few months. You write about more expensive wines than you used to." Now, this man is the director of a thriving television production company, with more notes in his wallet to spend on liquid pleasure, I'd have thought, than most of us. What was he on about?
Have I become more highfalutin' in my tastes, as his tone seemed to imply? I honestly don't think so. There's still the same attempt, every week, to recommend wines across a wide spectrum of prices, so that even budgets as slender as Kate Moss's waist are catered for. But overall prices have gone up in the past year, sometimes alarmingly. £5.99 has slid up to £7.50 on certain bottles; £6.99 to £8.99 - one heck of a hike. "Without a doubt, prices have gone up right across the board," says Siobhan Gibney of Cheers Malahide.
Why should this be so in a 12month period when inflation averaged 2.3 per cent? The trouble began last autumn when, with EMU preparations in train, the pound drifted downwards against other European currencies - pushing prices for Irish wine importers up.
"There was a drop of about 10 per cent against the franc," says Michael Donlon of Superquinn, "and Spain has been difficult, with only 210 pesetas to the Irish pound now compared with 270 not so long ago. In Italy prices are up, too - partly because of a major move towards quality."
The most dramatic price rises, however, relate to wines from Australia and Chile. In Australia's case, it's a simple matter of supply and demand. There's just not enough wine from Down Under to meet the needs of thirsty overseas markets - and there won't be until all the recently planted vineyards start producing in another few years. In the meantime, tough: we'll have to get used to paying more. Chile is also experiencing a huge growth in world demand, while we consumers watch the price tags change on what were once bargain bottles. With wines from Chile, California and, to some extent, Australia, price difficulties have been exacerbated by the fact that Irish importers are generally invoiced in dollars or sterling - currencies which have remained strong all year. "Sometimes the super markets will take a drop in margin, just to keep a particular price point," says one importer. "Or they'll run special promotions, offering one wine at its old price for a week, then switching to another. But the trend is definitely upwards."
What is the hard-pressed wine lover to do? One strategy is to look to new sources of value. "I'm gently moving some customers from Chile to Argentina," Siobhan Gibney admits. "The wine is as good, if not better, and the prices are really keen." Colin Sheil of SuperValu-Centra pinpoints to Spain as a key source of value "There's some great stuff coming from there - reds especially." With a deluge of new wines arriving in Irish shops, I'll be paying fresh attention to these countries in the coming months.
A word of caution, however. With the general squeeze on prices, a frightening number of new wines from all over the world are nothing but dilute rubbish - albeit at £5.99. The sheer nastiness of some of these has sent me off in another direction - hunting out some old reliables that have kept quality up and prices down. "You want to recommend wines that have barely moved in price over the past two to three years?" gasped Catherine McNulty, manager of Molloys in Nutgrove, incredulously. "That'll be a very short list!"
But, cheeringly, there are more than you might think, sitting modestly on the shelves of both supermarkets and off-licences. Below, you'll find 10 reds whose surprisingly stable prices won't make you see red. Most are inexpensive enough to buy for everyday drinking without inducing guilt or penury, starting right down at £3.99, a price you'd probably long since given up on. And they're tasty, individualistic wines, too - not the bland big brands. Warm up your autumn and grab 'em while you can.
10 Autumn Reds
Abbaye Saint-Hilaire, Coteaux Varois, 1996 (Superquinn, £3.99).
"It's been that price for ages, and it will stay that way," promises Superquinn wine buyer Michael Donlon. Phew! This light, appetising red which combines sunripened fruit with a nice little savoury twist is the best bargain I know.
JP Vinho Tinto, Terras do Sado, NV (Very widely available, usually £3.99).
Portugal's most spectacular bargain, JP - both red and white - has been £3.99 for ages. Master of Wine Dermot Nolan chose the white as a Bottle of the Week over a year ago; the red is extremely drinkable for the money, too. And remember it's smoother, more intense big brother, JP Regional Reserva, introduced to Ireland 18 months ago, is still just £5.99.
Chateau de Gourgazaud, Minervois, 1996 (Dunnes Stores, £5.89, and some independent off-licences).
Yes, it's gone up - but only by 40p in three years, which is pretty little. The gorgeous Gourgazaud Reserve, now £8.59, has crawled up 60p in the same period. Both remain star performers in their price range - soft, spicy and brimming with southern French sunshine.
Chivite Gran Feudo Crianza, Navarra, 1995 (Widely available, usually £5.99).
This popular Spaniard from a quality-oriented old family bodega has held its price for almost three years - and its place in Irish wine drinkers' affections. Good fruit, good spice, good acidity, gentle tannins . . . Not much wonder it's a winner.
Vina Albali Gran Reserva, Valdepenas, 1989 (Superquinn, £5.99).
Spain scores again, with a wine of real quality at a knockdown price that hasn't budged. (See Bottle of the Week.)
La Vieille Ferme, Cotes du Ventoux, 1996
(SuperValus-Centras, Molloys and many other outlets, £5.99 to £6.49).
From Jean-Pierre Perrin, one of the dynamic duo behind the Rhone's majestic Chateau de Beaucastel, here's an juicy, attractive wine produced on the same organic principles. Its price has barely moved in three years.
Candido Salice Salentino Riserva, 1994 (Widely available, £6.49-£6.99).
For a long time, this gutsy southern Italian was £5.99. It has crept up a little over the past year or so, but you still get oodles more flavour and depth than in most reds at a comparable price. An instant enhancer of pizza and pasta.
Torres Gran Sangre de Toro, Penedes, 1994 (Widely available, usually £7.99).
Torres has always been a goodvalue range, reining back on price rises fairly effectively. The basic Sangre de Toro is a sound buy at £5.99, but for £2 more this de luxe version has a much bigger personality. Sweet, lush fruit, lashings of vanilla and the sort of long, warming finish that might almost make you welcome winter.
Fetzer Eagle Peak Merlot 1996 (Widely available, £8.49-£8.99).
A plummy, spicy, supple Californian whose price has somersaulted as bizarrely as any well-toned West Coast body showing off on Venice Beach. When it was a Bottle of the Week almost three years ago, it was £9.99£10.99. Subsequently, the price went down to £7.99. It has since climbed - but still not right back up to the old level. A great buy - soft and inviting but with underlying firmness.
Campofiorin Ripasso, Masi, 1993 (Widely available, £8.99-£9.99).
Further proof that price checks aren't necessarily depressing. As a Bottle of the Week two-and-a-half years ago, this glorious Italian, infused with the richness of Amarone, was typically £9.99. It's still one of my all-time favourites, especially in wintertime, and it's still that price - except in TescoQuinnsworth where I spotted it recently at £1 less.
The proceeds of Oddbins' first Dublin wine fair next weekend go to Irish charities, so you can sample over 300 of their well chosen wines with a flush of virtue. September 19th and 20th at the Shelbourne Hotel, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; tickets £10 from Oddbins at 17 Upper Baggot Street, tel: (01) 667 3033 or 23 Rock Hill, Blackrock, tel: (01) 278 3844.